Chinese Circus

After yesterday, today didn't include any trips, just a relaxed one in the hotel.

I rose out of bed about 3pm, after finishing book number 2 and decided to adventure out for some food and a shop through the local shops (only a few, no opportunties for getting lost). Ordering seemed much easier today, or I am just getting more confident in it, I am not sure!? I nearly spent £50 on a wooden bangle to then do the conversion in my head just before I parted cash and realised so refused it, phew that was close!

In the evening myself and Chris went to a chinese circus, it was massive! It was enjoyable and some of the acts were amazing to watch... we were on the sides so this picture isn't great but the best from a bad bunch - this had at one point 6 motorbikes doing crazy circling stunts in the middle at the same time. It made me dizzy just watching it.

There were a lot of animals at this circus, which they'd trained to do some fascinating things, but I was stuck between being in awe that it could be done and disgust that they are doing it, wondering how the animals are kept and if they actually enjoy it? Part of me things they must, a bear/elephant is pretty big and can say no? surely? conflict in me for definite.

These are the acts we saw

- Trapezze artist
- An animal parade of elephants, bears, monkeys on bikes, a hippo, ducks, dogs, horses, flamingos... I am sure there were others...
- Bears doing tricks, including riding a tandum, a motorbike, doing a tightrope walk, doing sommersaults, dancing gangaham style (really!)
- Elephants dancing, rearing up, balancing on one foot on a spinning stool
- (my favourite), 5 people all in big metal cage rings with one in the centre acting as a hamster wheel to rotate the other 4 round (they were big rings and went high!) whilst the other 4 used the laws of physics to do some crazy stunts inside, outsdie, on top of, on the edge of, the rings.
- Diving act, with a VERY HIGH dive into a deep pool and a poor member of the audience being made the walk the plank
- A human cannon.

It was the first circus I've been too..